The skyway

[Cmdr_Crimson]

I know that the stations are just sitting collecting disney magical dust and yet it'd be nice to see something done with them. But my question really is...did riding the skyway seem to lose the magic of looking down at the buildings that held the rides?

[unkadug]

Well, yes and no....You could see the rooftops/AC units, but it was kinda fascinating at the same time.

I never saw a character out of character (if you know what I mean), as you would in the Utilidors.

[DisneyMusician2]

I never found the skyway particularty magical, so I was not sorry to see it go. If you meant did the skyway make things less magical, I don't think it affected the magic in any way other than to have a cool aerial view of Fantasyland.

[EPCOT.nut]

The Skyway scared the hell out of me but the last time I rode it was 1978 so I was 5. My parents took really cool pictures of the park from the Skyway, especially one of the castle that was birds-eye very close up view. I would love to see it come back. It is like the People-Mover - a place to sit and REST while being able to look around at the park. I remember sitting on the Skyway with my Grandma and she was telling me it was OK (I guess not to be a chicken - but Grandmas have a special slick way of doing that. I think my DAD wanted to say I was a chicken - lol) When I was 5 I saw that and the monorail the same way - the same kind of ride feel. YES the Skyway was all that and a bag of chips. Besides it was the closest that us in FLORIDA will ever ever get to a ski-lift.

[Did Knee]

Originally Posted by EPCOT.nut

Besides it was the closest that us in FLORIDA will ever ever get to a ski-lift.

Unless you go to Blizzard Beach

[Ciciwoowoo]

Originally Posted by EPCOT.nut

The Skyway scared the hell out of me but the last time I rode it was 1978 so I was 5. My parents took really cool pictures of the park from the Skyway, especially one of the castle that was birds-eye very close up view. I would love to see it come back. It is like the People-Mover - a place to sit and REST while being able to look around at the park. I remember sitting on the Skyway with my Grandma and she was telling me it was OK (I guess not to be a chicken - but Grandmas have a special slick way of doing that. I think my DAD wanted to say I was a chicken - lol) When I was 5 I saw that and the monorail the same way - the same kind of ride feel. YES the Skyway was all that and a bag of chips. Besides it was the closest that us in FLORIDA will ever ever get to a ski-lift.

I was scared by the Skyway too! I don't mind that it is closed, because I'm old enough that I would choose not to go on it anyway! I'm a big chicken!

That said, yes... all those lovely facades that Disney puts on seem to disappear up in the air. You could see the track that 20,000 leagues ran on. It took away from the magic... but if you were interested in back stage stuff, then it was a bonus.

[CThaddeus]

While I wished the upkeep of the tops of the buildings matched the lower portions, I loved the Skyway. I really liked seeing things from above, and that turn always impressed me (I'm not exactly sure why, except that maybe because Disneyland didn't have a turn in it, and I'd been on it dozens of times before it closed). I'm sure the behind the scenes views were part of the reason I liked it so much, too. It's a shame both Disneyland's and Disney World's were removed.

[mikeymouse]

Fantasyland looks so naked and desolate without the Skyway the last time I was there ... the fall of '05. It was neat seeing 20k from the air and all the fireworks launchers from atop Fantasyland buildings. At night was the best view. They all had red and green flashers on top of the buckets. I am afraid of heights, but loved it! Florida has those frequent severe storms and deadly lightning so that was probably the main reason for its demise. All the backstage areas of Fantasyland are full of foliage, so it would be difficult to see anything.

[Rufus T Firefly]

The Skyway at Disneyland had the added effect of traveling through the Matterhorn while the bobsleds careened nearby you.

[EPCOT.nut]

Originally Posted by Ciciwoowoo

I was scared by the Skyway too!

OK Then I don't feel so bad about clinging to Grandma the whole ride. Even though it has been a long time since I have been on the Skyway I *think* I can still feel what it was like. PRECARIOUS, but really cool. I would not skip it if it was still here.

Really what I feel I miss a lot more than I would have guessed is the bushes trimmed like all the disney charactors that you would see from the Monorail. Does anyone remember passing over a pasture filled with those sculpted hedges? Now I am not talking about the fancy ones that they do in the parks now - it was not THAT much fancier than what you would do in your yard - if you were an imagineer that is....

[hcswingfield]

We rode the skyway once while the fireworks were going off. It doesn't get much more magical than that!

[Chape19714]

Originally Posted by mikeymouse

Fantasyland looks so naked and desolate without the Skyway the last time I was there ... the fall of '05. It was neat seeing 20k from the air and all the fireworks launchers from atop Fantasyland buildings. At night was the best view. They all had red and green flashers on top of the buckets. I am afraid of heights, but loved it! Florida has those frequent severe storms and deadly lightning so that was probably the main reason for its demise. All the backstage areas of Fantasyland are full of foliage, so it would be difficult to see anything.

Fierwork launchers weren't installed on the Fantasyland Buildings until 2003. I wonder what building you were looking at.

It's demise was most likely due to the fact it was supposed to move guests quickly from one side of the park to the other, and it wasn't doing that, becuase of the lines. That's according to Disney.

Anyhow, I used to love the skyway, but it's time had come, I think the overall theme of Fantasyland is better without the huge metal posts in the walkways. The turn was always really cool, the only skyway in the world capiable of a 90 degree turn, at it's time.

[CThaddeus]

I believe handicapped access and morons jumping out of the cars (and then suing Disney) or pelting people below with _______ (insert liquid or projectile here) may have had the most to do with its demise, at least those were the excuses I heard for Disneyland's Skyway death.

[justducky78]

I LOVED the skyway and was so sad when I heard it was closing. I still miss it when I look up at the sky while walking through Fantasyland.

Behind the closing of the ride... I thought there were already plans to close it (not sure why) and not long before it finally did, one of the workers fell (or was injured in some way) while doing work on it. I don't think any 'guests' actually fell, but I could be wrong. And I'm sure some gross people did spit on people below but I don't think that's why it closed!

[CThaddeus]

Originally Posted by justducky78

I LOVED the skyway and was so sad when I heard it was closing. I still miss it when I look up at the sky while walking through Fantasyland.

Behind the closing of the ride... I thought there were already plans to close it (not sure why) and not long before it finally did, one of the workers fell (or was injured in some way) while doing work on it. I don't think any 'guests' actually fell, but I could be wrong. And I'm sure some gross people did spit on people below but I don't think that's why it closed!

At Disneyland, a man did, in fact jump out of his car. He attempted to sue Disney, trying to play it off that he fell out. Conveniently, he landed in a tree. Unfortunately for him, someone also caught the whole incident on videotape. His case went away shortly thereafter, however, the damage was done. Whether it really affected the closure of the attraction is unknown, but I'm sure such things didn't help.